The present invention relates to gaming chips or tokens and the method for making these chips. More specifically, the invention is directed to a relatively simple and inexpensive gaming chip that can be handled more easily by casino employees and patrons, and a method for making such a chip.
Gaming chips of various denominational values are commonly used in games of chance. These chips are used by patrons to wager a desired amount of money in such a game, and can later be exchanged for currency. In operating these games of chance, casino employees are continuously handling the gaming chips by distributing winnings, making change and accepting wagers. These casino employees, and their employers, desire the ability to handle the gaming chips quickly and easily, so that more time is available to participate in the actual game. For example, the casino employee may form stacks of chips to quickly determine the total value of the chip stack. Casino patrons may also stack chips to place a bet or to determine the value of the chips that the patron may have.
To assist the casino employees and patrons, some chip manufacturers grind the chips flat on both sides, so that a consistent chip height is achieved. This grinding results in chips that are very uniform and easily stacked. However, it has been found that these flat chips have a tendency to xe2x80x9cstickxe2x80x9d to one another slightly. This tendency can make it difficult to quickly make change, payoff a bet or quickly count chips by stacking and unstacking. At times, when it is desired to remove only a limited number of chips from a stack, the tendency of the chips to slightly stick together can cause the remaining chips in the stack to topple or to become unstacked. The employee or patron must then restack the chips or otherwise place the stack of chips back in order. Therefore, the flat chips have a tendency to undesirably slow the overall operation of the gaming experience.
Another problem in manufacturing prior art chips exists in the manufacturing of single color chips. In the prior art, a first mold or xe2x80x9cshotxe2x80x9d is made of the particular color. This first mold is merely used to center and hold a weighted disk or plug. The weighted plug is used to give the chip a desired weight and feel. To finish molding the chip, a second mold or shot is molded about the first mold and the weighted plug. The disadvantage of this method is that the resulting one color chip costs the same to make as a two color chip. Therefore, a method of more economically making a one color chip is needed.
Therefore, a chip is needed that overcomes the above drawbacks and disadvantages existing in the prior art. More specifically, a chip is needed that is of a uniform height and that can be easily stacked and unstacked without sticking to adjacent chips. Further, a method is needed for more economically making such a chip.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming chip that can easily be handled by casino employees and patrons without having a tendency to stick to adjacent chips.
It is another object of this invention to provide a gaming chip with a structure that alleviates any tendency to stick to adjacent chips.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a gaming chip that allows air to pass through the chip so that any vacuum formed between two adjacent chips is relieved.
It is yet another oject of the invention to provide a method for making a chip that has a structure that will alleviate any tendency to stick to adjacent chips.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of more economically making a one color chip.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by a gaming chip that includes a rigid core element. The core element has an outer peripheral edge and top and bottom surfaces. At least one ventilating aperture extends from the top surface to the bottom surface. The ventilating aperture substantially eliminates any vacuum effect and allows the gaming chips to be more easily handled by casino employees and patrons. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for making a gaming chip is also provided. The method includes providing a plurality of spaced core elements. A rigid disk is then molded about the core elements. The core elements operate to form a plurality of ventilating apertures that extend from the top of the disk to the bottom. The ventilating apertures relieve any vacuum formed between the chip and any adjacent chips, which allows the chips to be more easily handled.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.